


Alchemy

by iloveitblue



Series: Prompts [66]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Hansel and Gretel crossover, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-26
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-02-10 11:51:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2024085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveitblue/pseuds/iloveitblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Hansel meets Coulson the wizard (not a witch)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Up that hill." Ben said as he took one more look at his little notebook. "Rumors from the village says a witch lives up there. Nobody dared to go check though, so it might just be another empty shack."

"Well, we’re here right? Might as well check." Hansel said, readjusting the satchel on his shoulder.

The four made their way up hill with little banter here and there, mostly it was teasing Ben. They stopped in front of a fairly livable shack, and by the smoke coming out of the chimney, it was occupied.

"That’s weird." Gretel stated.

"You’re telling me. Since when has witches ever given away their position." Hansel cocked his gun.

"Something’s not right." Gretel narrowed her eyes, hand tightening on her gun. Edward, his club. Ben, nervously grabbed his pistol.

"Can I help you folks?" A voice from behind them made them all turn and Hansel shot blindly.

The man that stood behind them carried a pile of what looked like twigs for rekindling fire. The bullet that Hansel had shot went past the man and hit a tree not three inches away from the man’s head. He looked calm despite being shot at. “Careful where you point that. You might hurt someone.” The man said, as he passed the four witch hunters and dropped all the wood in a basket that carried no more than five more.

The door to the shack opened suddenly and another man, around Ben’s age burst out running, carrying a broom that he used as a make-shift sword. “WHO’S THERE? SHOW YOURS- Oh. Coulson. You’re back. I thought it was-“

"Coulson! What was that sound I heard, it sounded like-" A girl about the same age came running out after the man.

"-a gun. It sounded a lot like a gun and we don’t get that much-"

"-a gun. It was a gun Fitz! Don’t be an idiot, Of course it was. What else would it-"

The man, Coulson, coughed and the two immediately shut up. He gestured to the four, and the two turned to them at the same time, it was actually creepy.

"Oh! Guests. Terribly sorry." The girl said and walked over to them. "Are you staying for dinner?"

Gretel looked at the rest of her companions and then at the three strangers. She looked at her brother once more and he nodded once. “I’m not sure we can. We’re in search for witches.”

The girl took a step back, the man, Fitz, gripped his broom tighter and Coulson stepped forward. He smiled at them. “There are no witches here, I’m afraid. It’s just me, and my team.”

Hansel’s eyes flicked up and down Coulson’s body, until he spotted light ink on the man’s wrist. He focused on it, trying to decipher what the symbol was.

"And this team of yours…" Gretel trailed off.

"As I said, none of us are witches." Coulson answered sternly.

Coulson covered his wrist and Hansel looked up at the man only to find that he was staring right back. Coulson had eyes so blue it rivaled the summer sky, but it was hidden behind a scowl directed at Hansel.

"You’re not witches, so why are you all hiding here?" Hansel asked with a smirk.

"I-"

"Hey, Coulson! Look, I finally perfected that potion you taught me!" Another girl, a little older than the other one burst from the door holding up a vial in triumph and they all stared at her. "Uh… I mean… Wassup?" She quickly hid the vial behind her.

Fitz groaned, the other girl hid her face in her hand, and Coulson sighed.

"Not witches. Wizards." Coulson explained.

Gretel cocked her gun, Edward and Ben right behind her. Hansel stepped in front of all of them. “And how are wizards different from witches?”

"Hansel! Get back here." Gretel hissed.

"Wizards use alchemy." Coulson said simply. "And we have this." He rolled off his sleeves to show his forearm where the ink trailed from his wrist, up his arm, and disappeared into his clothes, creating intricate symbols that snaked around Coulson’s arm. "Witches have wands, we have this."

"And what? You’re telling me you’re not evil?" Hansel grinned at Coulson, teasing.

"Witches are generally evil because they search for power. Wizards tend to search for knowledge."

Hansel shook his head slightly and rolled his eyes at the man. “Okay, I’ll bite. Show me.”

Coulson looked back at his companions and then sighed, he looked at Hansel and then moved his finger to trace one line following the intricate pattern. The air was filled with the smell of lavander, and Coulson started murmuring words.

He reached out and touched Hansel’s neck and Gretel almost lunged forward until she realized that this wasn’t the same magic any of the witches use, good or bad. The smell of lavander vanished and Coulson breathed in.

"There."

"What exactly was it?" Hansel asked not really feeling anything but a little lighter.

"I closed all your wounds for you."

Hansel instinctively reached up to his bandaged arm and pinched. His wound was gone. “That’s- That’s amazing.”

"You should see what he can do with a dandelion." the first girl chirped. "I’m Jemma, by the way."

"If the offer to stay is still open, I’d like to know more about this alchemy of yours." Hansel said, smiling at Coulson.

Coulson stared back and snorted. “Of course, follow us inside.”

Coulson and his team went back inside and Ben and Edward followed. Gretel walked past her brother and gave him a pat on the back. “You always did attract the magic users.” She commented with a knowing smile.

Hansel rolled his eyes at his sister. So what if he wanted to get to know Coulson a little bit more? His eyes were mesmerizing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hansel had no idea what he expected when he entered the small shack but it certainly wasn’t this.

'This' being the shack larger than how it appeared outside. It was 3, maybe 5 times larger - with a second floor that Hansel assumed was where the rooms were. He heard Ben wolf whistle as he looked at the interiors of the place. 

"Nice place." Gretel commented. 

"Thank you." Coulson responded with a tight smile. "I’d take the glory for it but it’s really more May’s work."

"May?" Ben asked. "There’s more of you? What is this place? A coven for wizards?"

"May is my familiar. She tends to…" Hansel noticed a white cat with black ears and tail  ~~staring~~  glaring at him. “not like most people. She has trust issues.” The cat continued to stare at Hansel until Gretel took her attention. The cat made its way to Gretel and looked up at the beautiful lady. Gretel bent down and picked the creature up, petting its head and scratching its neck. The cat purred at her. “Well, that’s a first. What was your name again?”

"My name is Gretel." She introduced, not looking up from the cat until she cocked her head towards the other three. "This is my brother, Hansel. The boy is Ben and the lovable ogre is Edward."

"Seeing as how May’s taken a liking to you, I guess you can be trusted."

"That’s May?" Ben asked, not even bothering to hide the curiosity in his voice. He tried to reach for May but the cat hissed at him causing him to pull his hand back. Gretel giggled at the display.

"She plays favorites from time to time." Coulson explained. "Anyway, make yourself at home. There are enough rooms to house all of you upstairs and dinner will be ready as soon as Jemma and Leo quit bickering long enough to cook. I’ll be in my study if you need me." Coulson gave them another one of those tight smiles and disappeared into the back room, May jumping off of Gretel and following him just outside his door and sat there.

"Well, this seems cozy." Hansel commented.

"Better than any tavern we’ve stayed at, that’s for sure." Gretel scoffed. "Well, I guess we should settle in for the night. Not much we can do now."

—-

An hour had passed and Ben had gone off to see Jemma and Leo to help with the cooking. Gretel was cleaning her weapons and Edward had gone out with Skye to get more wood. Hansel sat on the edge of his bed, watching Gretel. 

"You’re brooding." Gretel told him.

"I’m thinking." Hansel informed her.

"About what?"

"Alchemy. He didn’t really explain it to me."

Gretel paused and placed her gun back down. “Are you genuinely interested in this Alchemy business?”

"Better that we know this kind of sorcery from the inside, right?"

Gretel rolled her eyes at him. “Just say that you want to talk to him and I’ll help you get past the cat.”

Hansel sputtered. He did not! He was interested in knowing more about this Alchemy business. That’s all.

—-

Hansel entered the room and was almost knocked out by an airborne jar of- of something green and goopy. Luckily, he ducked his head out of the way just in time. 

It took Hansel a second to process but given the scene in front of him, he let it slide. Jars and vials of different things, sprigs and bushels of plants he’s never seen before, all flying and rearranging themselves on the shelves. The cauldron on the far side of the room had something boiling in it, and it was stirring itself quite nicely. The room smelled of lavender.

Most of all though was Coulson, half naked and standing in the middle of the room, his back to Hansel - just like his forearms, Coulson’s back was covered in ink. Intricate swirls and lines that seemed to move with every word he was saying, reading from what looked like a really old book. The words Coulson chanted were not anything Hansel was familiar with - probably another language.

"I’d figure you’d come sooner." Coulson said once he finished chanting. Hansel watched as the ink receded and Coulson’s skin cleared until it was just his forearm covered with the ink. Coulson moved to a desk and started to dress himself once more.

"Your cat was guarding the door. Had to bribe my sister to distract her." Hansel shrugged.

"If May truly didn’t want you to enter, you wouldn’t be able to. Sister or not." Coulson smirked at him. "You wanted to know more about Alchemy, I take it?"

"Kind of why I agreed to stay the night - and you know, not blow your brains out."

Coulson shook his head, but the smile playing at his lips looked more amused than anything else. “So kind of you.”

Hansel grinned. “So, what was it you were doing?”

"Enchanting some twigs, making wands, the usual." Humor. So Coulson had humor too.

"I thought you said wizards didn’t need wands."

"We don’t… But Skye, Jemma and Leo are my apprentices. They haven’t been awakened yet. They cannot do without assistance from an enchanted item. I was teaching them about brewing potions before you got here."

"Potions." Hansel repeated.

"Potions." Coulson affirmed.

By the time dinner was served,  Hansel learned more about Alchemy and more about the man Coulson was than he ever thought he could in a matter of hours. Coulson - Phil - was an amazing wizard… Granted, Hansel might be biased seeing as how Phil was the first wizard they’ve ever met but that didn’t change the fact that Phil was amazing. 

He couldn’t teach Hansel any of the actual spells and potions because apparently there was a ritual that involved promising your entire life to the study before you could do anything, so Hansel stuck to whatever knowledge and story the wizard with the beautiful eyes could tell him. It wasn’t much but Hansel was still grateful for it.

Morning came and it was time to go. The group had prepared to set off toward the next town and Phil, along with his team, stood outside the shack to see them off. 

"Thank you." Hansel said. "For last night."

"You’re very welcome." Phil smiled at him, this time it wasn’t the tight smile he gave them the day before. "Thank you as well, for listening to me. I tend to rant when I talk about things I love."

"I like listening to you." Hansel admitted.

There was a wolf whistle from somewhere behind Hansel followed by a soft ‘oof’. 

"This is for you." Phil took his hand and placed a pendant in his palms. "You can reach any of us with it…" Hansel stared at the gem in his hands and smiled. "And one more thing." was all Phil said before he planted a soft kiss on Hansel’s cheek. "The magic is sealed with a kiss." 

Hansel refused the urge to touch his cheek like a teenage boy and grinned at Phil instead. “Thanks.” He said again before they were all off.

When they were alone, Skye cleared her throat. “You lied.” She said, a smug grin covering her face.

Phil raised an eyebrow at her.

"There is no spell or enchantment that needs a kiss to seal the magic. I’ve read the books."

Phil ignored her and her teasing, along with May’s smirks for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here on tumblr](http://promptmephlint.tumblr.com/post/99132084046/part-one-more-hansel-had-no-idea-what-he)


	3. Chapter 3

"Hansel. It’s time to sleep." Gretel muffled through her pillow.

The lump underneath the blanket shifted and pretended to sleep but after a few minutes, the whispering - not to mention the soft blue glow - started again. Gretel sighed, getting up from her bed and pulling the blanket off of Hansel then grabbing the pendant despite Hansel’s indignant ‘Hey!’

"Hello, Phil." Gretel greeted.

"Nice to hear from you again, Gretel. May says hi, by the way." Phil smiled at her, nodding as he did so.

"Tell her I say hi." Gretel would love to speak more to Phil and the rest of the team, but it is getting really late and they still have a witch to hunt in the northern woods at the first crack of sunlight. "Good Night, Phil. Hansel says good night, as well."

Phil grins at her through the gem, knowing full well that Hansel did no such thing. “Tell him I say good night. And to you.”

Gretel gave him another smile before the image on the gem disappeared. 

"Now." Gretel threw Hansel back the pendant. "Go. To. Sleep."

Hansel rolled his eyes at her, muttering “All you had to do was ask.”

Gretel shook her head softly, as she let her head drop back to her pillow.

—-

Hansel took a hit.

He took a hit that was meant for Ben and now he’s lying on the ground, lifeless. 

"No. No, no, no, no. Hansel. Hansel, Listen to me. Hansel! Open your eyes." Gretel’s hands were shaking as she took his head in her lap. "Please, Hansel. You have to wake up."

She tried to cast a spell that would help her brother, but none would come to mind. All she could think about was her brother, lying helpless. The color from his cheeks slowly draining, the heat from his face growing colder by the second. Her brother, slowly dying. She cursed herself. What use was having powers when you couldn’t use them? 

That’s when she noticed the glint of the pendant. As quickly as she could, she took the pendant in her hand and Phil immediately appeared, the smile from his face faded when he saw Gretel crying. 

"What’s wrong?" 

"Hansel, he… he was hit. He’s not breathing."

"I- I can’t help you. Not from here." Phil moved away and came back with a book. "You have to bring him back here." Gretel nodded. Phil nodded back, flipping to a page in the book. "Put your hand on top of his chest and repeat after me." 

"Wait." Gretel prompted. "What will this do to him?"

"It will suspend his very being. Make time stop for his body and his alone. This way, you will have time to get back here, with whatever was cast on him to pause."

—-

Hansel opened his eyes, his vision a little spotty. He tried to get up, but a hand kept him down. He turned to the owner of the hand and found Phil smiling down at him. He brought his free hand up and pressed a finger to to his lips, glancing at the other side of the bed. 

Gretel slept there quietly, her head rested next to Hansel’s arm. 

"She hasn’t left your side since she brought you back." Phil smiled at her. "She’s tired."

Hansel nodded. bringing up his hand to run it down her head softly. “She worries about me too much.”

"We all were." Phil said.

Hansel glanced up at him, his smile tentative and shy. So unlike him. “That spell you took-“

"Don’t tell me you think I shouldn’t have taken it. Because I swear, Phil, I’ll-"

"That’s not what I was going to say." He hushed Hansel. "If anyone could have taken that hit and had a chance at survival, it would be you. Not your sister, Not Ben, Not even Edward. You."

"Me?"

Phil licked his lips and placed the pendant Hansel didn’t even notice was gone back in his hand. “I enchanted this. To not only be used as a way to talk to you, but also to protect you. It’s magic is gone. Destroyed by whatever spell the last witch you fought used. It still works as a way to talk, but no longer to protect. The magic that was supposed to kill you was what destroyed it. It left you in a deep sleep. Luckily. So I would advise you not to do something as bravely stupid as that again. Please.”

Hansel smirked. “I’ll try.” Phil huffed a laugh at that, rolling his eyes. 

"Will you two just kiss already?" Gretel’s voice came muffled and sleepy, but clear nonetheless. She yawned out loud as she brought her head up to greet her brother, "Good Morning."

Hansel smiled at her. “Good Morning.”

She continued to smile and leaned in to what Hansel thought was going to be a kiss on the head. It turned out to be a smack upside the head. “That’s for scaring me and Phil!” She hit him again. “That’s for making Ben cry!” And a last one, “And this is for good measure.”

Hansel brought up his hands to nurse his head. He was pinned in an awkward hug that trapped his one hand to his head, and the other to his side. “Please, Please… Don’t ever do that again.” Gretel told him.

Hansel looked up at Phil who was smiling down at both of them. Hansel awkwardly reached up with the hand trapped at his side to hug his sister back. “I’ll try.” He said to her. 

He got hit in the head another 3 times for that one but he figures it was worth it to see his sister smile and hear Phil laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here on tumblr](http://promptmephlint.tumblr.com/post/111185347386/my-friend-is-panicking-for-her-report-tomorrow-i)

**Author's Note:**

> [Here on tumblr](http://promptmephlint.tumblr.com/post/92547543406/the-alchemy-thing-is-from-the-alchemyst-i-just)


End file.
